IN THE short span of five years, one doctor's drive has revolutionised paediatric services at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH).
In that time, Dr Jenny Tang set up a sleep laboratory, started a weight management programme and helped develop and lead KKH's general ambulatory paediatric service.
For her efforts, the 37-year-old paediatrician has been awarded the Commendation Medal this year.
Dr Tang got going after completing her one-year advanced specialty training in paediatric pulmonology and sleep in Cleveland, Ohio, in the United Sta- tes.
She set up a two-bed sleep laboratory to diagnose and treat sleep disorders in children.
The lab treats about 350 new patients a year for problems such as sleep apnoea and conditions known as poor sleep association, like when a baby is unable to sleep without being breastfed.
'I'm glad that we have managed to create greater public awareness of sleep disorders like sleep apnoea in children, among the patients as well as the doctors,' said Dr Tang, the director of KKH's sleep disorders programme and a specialist in respiratory medicine.
'More patients are coming to see us at an earlier stage, and that helps to avoid the complications that come with diagnosing the problem late.'
About two years ago, Dr Tang was made the head of a new service, the general ambulatory paediatric service.
Children suffering from straightforward conditions are admitted under the general ambulatory paediatric service so they will be taken care of holistically.
If they suffer from more than one complex disease, say, cancer or heart problems, the general paediatrician will coordinate the care of the child by other doctors specialising in those fields, or sub-specialties.
The service was started to 'bridge the gap between the sub-specialties', she said.
While Dr Tang was treating patients with sleep apnoea, she also realised that more than half of them were obese.
This aggravated their sleeping difficulties and also caused other problems like diabetes.
So she started a weight management programme last year under the general ambulatory paediatric service to help treat overweight children and adolescents.
Her patients at the weight management clinic are taught how to eat sensibly and exercise.
They are also screened for all the problems associated with obesity.
Dr Tang said she is driven by a 'desire to achieve optimum patient care'.
'The award is a bonus that lets me know that people appreciate the work I've done and it's an encouragement to me to press on.'
Other National Day Award Winners from SingHealth:
Commendation Medal (Pingat Kepujian)
Miss Chiang Juat Lan, Deputy Director of Nursing, Department of Nursing Administration, Singapore General Hospital
Miss Lim Suh Fen, Senior Nurse Manager, Cardiac Clinics, National Heart Centre
Public Service Medal (Pingat Bakti Masyarakat) for Tsunami Relief Operations
Dr Low Cheng Ooi, Senior Consultant and Chief Orthopeadic Surgery, Changi General Hospital
Dr Vincent Yeo Kok Leng, Senior Consultant, Plastic Surgery, Singapore General Hospital